Red Dragon

At the end of the 19th century the focus of the world was taken in
a direction that would persist and even intensify to today, the fascination with
serial killers. Serial killers, the perverse individuals that are able to kill
in cold blood again and again. With the advent of the motion picture this
fascination could be manifested in a vicarious indulgence that film offers.
After all, no sane person would commit these heinous acts but for a few dollars
we can become voyeurs through the safety of movies. After all, the movie going
audience has always loved monsters and there are none worse than the human
monster, the type that may be setting next to you on a train or in the street.
Red Dragon is the third installment of the saga of Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’
Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins). As those that have not been in isolation for the
last decade you all know Lecter was a master psychiatrist that killed and
consumed people he felt was too obnoxious for this world. As the film opens we
get a glimpse of Lecter out of the confines of his prison cell, at the symphony.
FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) has been consulting with Lecter on a
particularly horrible series of crimes ironically enough involving cannibalism.
Skip ahead a few years and Lecter is in his infamous plastic cage, Graham has
taken early retirement and his old FBI supervisor Jack Crawford (now played by
Harvey Keitel) has called him back for a new case. This new killer, dubbed the
Tooth Fairy (Ralph Fiennes) because of the dental pattern left on its victims
has been increasing in activity and confounding the FBI. The story focuses on
the personalities behind these three men. How their personal inner demons drove
them to the predicament they find themselves in during the film. Graham with
obsession with finding the killer to make amends for his past. Lecter is the
perfect killing machine, with his professional ability to dissect the emotions
of his prey before he literally dissects their bodies. Then there is the Tooth
Fairy, Francis Dolarhyde. Here is a monster that finds his actions repugnant but
cannot stop has they intensify. As the story progresses the interaction of the
three men is not limited to shared scenes, the story itself weaves an intricate
web that traps them. The monsters here often fail to see that they are monsters.
They are able to find some justification with their actions possibly by
submitting to their terrible nature. All three are intelligent men and the
script permits them to show that intelligence. They are not the mindless killers
that Hollywood has so long embraced.

For me this is a dream cast. I have been a long time fan of almost all the
work of these three actors. All three of them have multiple Oscar nominations
under their belts, Sir Anthony having also won for his first presentation of
Lecter in ‘Silence of the Lambs’. With such a pantheon of acting talent this
film sets the bar high and then exceeds it. Sir Anthony Hopkins was born to play
this role. He owns it like few actors have ever owned a part. His Lecter is
sophisticated, urban, and deadly. Lecter was best summarized in a line from
Silence, ‘his pulse never exceeded 85 even when he bit out her tongue.’ Hopkins
displays Lecter as someone in complete control even during the most unexpected
circumstances. Norton is one of those actors that never fails to fully posses
his characters. The audience can readily identify with him, something that helps
to draw you into the film even deeper. His range as an actor is incredible. Here
he shows us a very human cop that is just as obsessed as the man he stalks.
Fiennes gives us the perfect counterpoint to Lecter with his portrayal of
Dolarhyde. Here is a man that is as torn s Lecter is assured. In this film even
the ancillary cast was perfectly cast. Keitel is one of those actors that does
character roles with incredible precision. He is a chameleon that provides
realism to every role he takes on.

As the director, Brett Ratner is in fine company for Lecter films. While most
of his previous work is in more of a comedy vein, (the Rush Hour flicks and
Family man), here he demonstrates a talent for darker subject matter. Red Dragon
is a moody work, rich in dark atmosphere. His framing of each scene is full of
ancillary details. This is definitely a film to see only in its original aspect
ratio. The process of pan and scan will ruin this film. Ratner treats a little
homage to the classic horror films exceptionally well. In one scene Dolarhyde
confronts a blind girl. I could not help to be reminded of the classic scene in
The Bride of Frankenstein where the monster meets the blind man. In both cases
the monster is confronted by his repressed humanity. Excellent work, simply
excellent. Ratner chooses a color palette that provides a reality to the film
that is not so stark that the nightmarish nature of the film is not lost. He
permits the audience an intimate view through the camera, an almost voyeuristic
feel is provided to the film. I hope that the fame and recognition that followed
the other Lecter directors is afforded to this deserving director.

The DVD production is just what a film like this deserves. The two disc set
is the best way to go. The extra features will entertain you for many hours.
There is a timeline of Lecter from childhood to present day, the FBI case file
of Lecter, a profile of him and a director’s commentary that will help the
viewer understand the process that was required by this film. Disc two continues
the extras with a closer look at Ratner. There are his personal recollection of
the film’s production, his first film school effort and his direction of the
screen tests. This is a mini course in direction. The Dolby 5.1 audio is robust
and creates a full, rich sound field. The speakers are well utilized and make
excellent use of all six speakers. The anamorphic 1.85:1 video is clean,
providing a realistic color pallet and viewing of the slightest details of the
film. This is a most have film that you will revisit often.